Kerwin MacKenzie was in Las Vegas for a conference and stayed at the Venetian for free using IHG Rewards.
The loyalty program
Name: Kerwin MacKenzie
Age: 53
Occupation: Travel Entrepreneur with Cruising Altitude
Home: Houston
Loyalty program: IHG Rewards
The stay
Hotel name and city: The Venetian in Las Vegas
Dates of stay: Jan. 9 – 10, 2018
What kind of room: Deluxe room
Q: What amenities did you take advantage of?
A: None sadly. They do have a pool.
Q: Did you travel alone or with someone?
A: I traveled alone. I was in Las Vegas for the CES conference and the hotel rooms were really pricey for that night, so using points worked well.
The loyalty program
Q: What loyalty program did you use to get a free stay?
A: IHG Rewards.
Q: How long were you a cardholder/member at that time?
A: It’s been ages. It’s my favorite program. I’m currently Spire Ambassador.
Q: How long were you planning for this?
A: I booked it within two weeks of the stay.
Q: What’s your favorite perk of this program?
A: Early check-in/late check-out. You really can’t beat this.
Redemption and booking
Q: Did you take advantage of promotions while earning points for this trip?
A: No, there weren’t any available.
Q: Where/how did you book?
A: I booked it on the IHG website.
Q: How many points/rewards did this cost?
A: 60,000.
Q: Did you book in conjunction with a promotion or deal?
A: No.
Q: Any surprises or upgrades?
A: When I checked in the concierge did not realize I was Spire Elite for some reason, so I did not get the usual offer of a gift basket and complimentary water. I had to remind him. He looked it up and apologized, and a few hours later as the hotel was full and things were running late, I had my fruit basket and water.
What’s your next travel rewards goal?
I want to stay at all the IHG Intercontinental, so I’m saving to 60,000 points so I can do a reward stay for the next city I visit that has an Intercontinental.
How to maximize your rewards
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Planning a trip? Check out these articles for more inspiration and advice:
How I flew for free: Miles to the rescue for a family emergency
How I flew for free: Round trip NYC to India using Chase Ultimate Rewards
How I flew business class to Bangkok with my family for free
